Patterns of Objective and Subjective Burden of Informal Caregivers in Multiple Sclerosis

Table 3

Factors associated with informal care burden and with formal care provision.

Multivariate model ():	Linear regression		Logit
	Objective burden; ICT	Subjective burden; ZBI	Formal care support; (Yes/no)
(1) Patient variables
EDSS^a	1.2 (0.002)	2 (0.02)	0.8 (0.004)
DEX^a	0.1 (0.03)	0.6 (<0.001)	−0.004 (ns)
Urinary Intermittent catheterisation^b	0.8 (ns)	3.9 (ns)	−0.9 (ns)
MS duration^a	−0.13 (0.08)	−0.2 (ns)	0.02 (ns)
(2) Caregiver variables
Gender^b (ref. male)	3.3 (0.03)	4.1 (ns)	−0.8 (ns)
Coresidency^b	4.5 (0.01)	−2.5 (ns)	0.1 (ns)
Conflicting role^b	−1.2 (ns)	1.6 (ns)	−0.2 (ns)
SF12-MCS^a	−0.08 (ns)	−0.5 (<0.001)	−0.05 (ns)
SF12-PCS^a	−0.2 (ns)	−0.3 (ns)	−0.06 (ns)
(3) Socioeconomic variable
Formal care support at home^b	0.1 (ns)	4.5 (ns)	—
	0.39	0.73
	AIC (block1) = 663	AIC (block1) = 533
	AIC (block1-2) = 632	AIC (block1-2) = 519
	AIC (block1-2-3) = 626	AIC (block1-2-3) = 505
Pseudo-			0.28

Note: results show estimates of unstandardized beta coefficients for the two linear full regression models and of log odds for the logit model; values in brackets are specified when , and they are nonsignificant (ns) otherwise.
Interpretation: for continuous variables, for example, the expected change in ICT per 1-unit increment in EDSS is 1.2 hours and ^bfor dichotomic variables, for example, the expected change in ICT when the caregiver is a female is 3.3 hours.
Note: ICT = informal care time; ZBI = Zarit Burden Inventory; AIC = Akaike Information Criterion.